Time Trap
by MWolfe13
Summary: Hermione and Steve are sent after a missing agent, not realizing the dangers that awaited them.


**Written for MMF Bingo 2019. This is loosely based on the movie Time Trap. As in, I watched the movie, and this fic was born.  
**

**I do not own anything related to Harry Potter, Marvel, and Time Trap. I wish! **

**Let me know what you think in the reviews!**

* * *

**Square: N3 (Free Choice)**  
**Pairing: Hermione Granger x Steve Rogers**

* * *

"What's the plan?"

Hermione ran her eyes over the map she had found of the immediate area. The agent they were searching for had disappeared entirely without any sign of struggle. SHIELD agents had most of the best technology not allowed on the open market, but her GPS signal had been working one second and then not the next. Her last known location had been provided to Hermione, and she'd marked it on the map. She wasn't sure racing to that spot was the best idea, but SHIELD wanted their agent located and fast.

"Granger?"

Hermione looked up at the use of her surname, blinking as Steve Rogers waved a hand in front of her face. She didn't know the Captain too well. He was a national hero, one that didn't want for friends or company. Hermione had been attached to SHIELD from her Ministry for five years now, and they'd managed to have all of three conversations within that time. "Yes?"

He placed his hand back on the steering wheel of the jeep they drove, looking like he was fighting back a smile. "I asked what the plan was."

She sighed, "Not a very good one, I'm afraid. Unfortunately, technology becomes rather unreliable at the last known location of our agent. We haven't been able to retrieve satellite images of that spot or activate the emergency beacon on his gear."

"Can't you just…" He waved a hand in the air with a flourish. "Don't you use crystals or something?"

Hermione snorted, "Been catching up with your tv shows, have you? Yes, I did…" She waved her hand in the same fashion, holding back a laugh when his ears turned red. "I cast a location spell, but it took me to the same spot. Right now, our best option is to head there and see what we find."

"Doesn't sound like much of a plan."

She shrugged. "It's really not, but it's the best I've got until I see what I'm working with."

"Why was Blake on a mission here in the first place?"

Hermione shifted the map out of the way, opening the file on her lap. She'd already read through the report, but it didn't hurt to go through it again. "According to the file the Director gave me, Blake was investigating a series of disappearances." She frowned. "Well, they're all spread out over the years, but the situation is the same. They'd go missing without a word; their GPS would malfunction in the same spot, no remains were ever found. It was enough to have SHIELD take an interest."

"That's it?" Steve asked, incredulously.

"If there's more, the Director didn't see the need to share it with either of us."

Steve tapped his fingers on the steering wheel but didn't say anything. Hermione resumed her study of the map just for something to do. She didn't feel comfortable making small talk when he looked so pensive.

They eventually made it to the place Blake's GPS signal disappeared. Steve turned off the jeep and got out while Hermione gathered the backpack she'd prepared and followed him out. She brought out a small handheld device, keeping her eyes on the flashing dot as she walked forward. "If this signal is correct, then our missing agent disappeared right about-"

She stepped into open air.

Hermione gave a surprised squeak, clinging to the arms that suddenly closed around her and pulled her back. She gave Steve a quick nod of thanks before peering into the hold from the safety of his arms. It was only large enough for someone slightly bigger than her. Laying near her feet was a black rope anchored to the ground. It disappeared into the opening, blending in with the darkness.

"How big was Blake?" she asked.

Steve's head bent over hers as he took a look. "A little taller than you, but just as petite. She would have been able to fit through this." He grimaced. "I won't."

"I can take this rope down and see where it leads."

Steve's arms tightened around her. "Absolutely not. We stick together."

Hermione didn't argue. "We'll need to find another way down then, another entrance." If there was one.

It was then they noticed Steve was still holding her. He let go of her with a mumbled apology, ears coloring rapidly. Hermione avoided his eyes as she summoned the map from the jeep. "Right. There's a group of rock formations starting a couple of miles from here. They start becoming common after that, so we'll have plenty of options to explore."

Hermione and Steve walked past a handful of boulders before coming across a cave entrance hidden by overgrown plants and other hedges. Hermione waved her wand, light shining from the tip and into the cave. It was dark, but she could make out the tip of a ledge further in. Steve had seen it too. "We'll need to climb down."

She nodded. "That seems to be the only way. Let me give an update on our location first."

She took out her cell phone, opening it to send a quick text and location marker. She frowned when the screen remained blank. She could have sworn she'd charged this thing. She bit her lip, looking at Steve. "Can I borrow your phone?" He handed it over without question. She smiled to herself at the older technology but then grimaced when she found his phone dead as well. "I don't suppose you let the battery die?"

Steve took the phone back from her, looking it over with a scowl. "It was fully charged before we left the office."

"So technology stops working period once we get to a certain point," Hermione murmured. Curious, she flared her magic out. Nothing came back. "We can rule that out."

"Do you know what's going on?"

She shook her head, pulling out her wand. "Not a clue, but I don't sense other magic in the area and both of our phones have died. I'm sending my Patronus to a friend who already knows the situation in the event no one can reach us." She smiled as her otter swam out, flipping around Hermione and Steve before coming to a stop in front of her. "Kingsley, we found the spot where the agent disappeared but it is too small for the Captain to fit through. There is another entrance about three kilometers north of the last GPS signal. Our phones are no longer working. Granger out."

Steve watched the ghostly animal fly away from them as she put her wand away. "He's the official liaison for your people, isn't he?"

"We both are, technically, but he's more the face and I'm the one who does stuff like this." She chuckled, "He'd much rather it be the other way around, but that's what he gets when he's the leader of our government." She shrugged, pulling the rope out of her backpack. "We get the same reports, so he'd be aware of where SHIELD was sending me even if he wasn't brought on. If I don't check back in before the end of the day, he'll send someone after us."

Steve took the lead, walking cautiously into the cave. There was nothing before the ledge as far as Hermione could see. The only footprints were the ones they were making in the rocky dirt path. Steve stopped about halfway through, stiffening and stepping back. "The air feels weird."

"What do you mean?" Hermione stepped forward to see for herself, but Steve laid a hand on her elbow. "Captain-"

"The air changes. I'm not sure how to explain it." He frowned. "Maybe we should request a team. I have a bad feeling."

Hermione's brows furrowed. "Let me check it out, okay?" He reluctantly let go of her, and Hermione wasted no time walking forward. As she walked, she did feel the air change, but also… Magic. There was magic. Why was there magic? She whirled around, intent on getting out of the cave, but an invisible wall stopped her. "Bollocks."

Steve mouthed something to her, but no sound came out. Hermione shook her head, not understanding why he was quiet. He tried again, opening his mouth wider. Hermione concentrated on his lips, able to make out a few letters but nothing substantial. She brought her wand out to create letters in the air. If she couldn't hear him, he probably couldn't hear her. She waved her wand to create the first letter, and fell on her butt as the magic drained out of her.

Steve was through the magic wall in a flash, kneeling next to her, fingers going to her wrist. "Are you okay?"

Her head was spinning. "Uh… Yeah, I'm fine. That was weird." She looked up in alarm. "You shouldn't have come through."

Steve helped her up, keeping his arm around her when she stumbled. "Of course I should have. You can tell me what happened outside the cave."

He walked forward, dragging her with him. Hermione opened her mouth to explain they were trapped when Steve's arm dropped from her side. Hermione forced herself not to lose her legs again, watching the Captain walk without being hindered to the other side. He froze, turning to face her again once he realized she was no longer with him.

She shrugged at him helplessly, but her mind was racing on the inside. The forcefield had only trapped her. Was it because she had magic? What had happened to her magic when she'd cast the spell? It had felt like it was forcibly taken from her. She was hesitant to try again.

Steve walked back to her side. Hermione frowned at him. "You should leave and call for backup."

The man shook his head. "Not without you."

She sighed, "Don't worry about me. I-"

Steve stopped her by putting his hands on her shoulders, eyes looking at her in all seriousness. "No, Hermione. Blake disappeared without a word in these caves. If that isn't odd enough with all the technology out there, there's an invisible wall that won't let you leave, and you collapsed. We stay together. You sent your otter out. They'll send someone for us."

Hermione wanted to insist he leave. The last thing she wanted was for Kingsley to send someone like Harry or Ron. They would follow her in here and be trapped themselves. If Captain Rogers activated their distress signal, the area would swarm with SHIELD agents and magical representatives within a few hours. Between the two of them, she was sure they could figure out how to retrieve her. But looking at his determined face, she knew there would be no persuading him.

Instead, she gave him a single nod, even though she still disagreed with his decision. "Let's not be idle then. We'll look for Agent Blake." She touched his arm, stopping him when he moved away from her. "We don't know what's going on, so there's a chance she might be hurt. You need to promise me that if she is, you'll get her out and leave me here." She shook her head when he made to protest. "Promise me, Captain Rogers. Getting her out is our priority."

Slowly, he nodded, but the look on his face said he was far from pleased. "I promise."

* * *

They'd made it down the rock ledge, but the cavern they'd been in spanned into multiple tunnels. They'd chosen one at random and had been following it ever since.

Hermione was on edge. She'd gotten thirsty half an hour into their walk, and had been dismayed to find out that her bag had reverted to the usual Muggle disguise she'd given it. This happened when they happened to be in the rare places devoid of all magic. She hadn't thought it would be a problem here with the magic pressure she was feeling, but as it stood, they only had a few water bottles, five granola bars, and a first aid kit.

Luckily Steve's pack was a little more stocked. She'd jokingly asked him if he'd been one of those American kid scouts back in his day. Wasn't their motto 'always be prepared' or some such thing? He hadn't answered her, but she had seen the tell-tale blush on the back of his neck.

Hermione stopped and leaned against the rock, slightly out of breath. How long had they been walking? Steve turned, glancing over her. "Are you doing okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, I'll be good to go in a moment." She gave him a teasing smile. "Not all of us can have super stamina."

Steve rubbed the back of his neck. "Super stamina, huh? Sure comes in handy sometimes."

Hermione began to blush at the image that popped into her mind. Did he realize… She was wondering if she should continue the tease when her head rushed again. Her head fell against the rock closest to her, stinging pain clearing the fog for a moment.

Steve pulled away from the wall. When had he gotten so close? "Hermione, what happened?"

She blinked hard, wondering that herself. "I must be tired." She gave him a rueful smile. "I hadn't exactly planned to go on this type of mission when I woke up this morning. I stayed up a bit too late doing some work for my Ministry. It's catching up with me now, more than likely."

"You should eat something." He was already opening her backpack to pull out a bar.

Hermione nibbled on the hard-packed grain mixture once he handed it to her, watching him. "You know," she spoke up. "Before today we probably exchanged about ten words between the two of us."

"I didn't realize you even knew who I was," Steve said.

She scoffed. "Of course I knew who you were. Who doesn't?"

He shrugged. "I also didn't think you'd be interested in getting to know someone like me."

She frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

Steve sighed, rubbing the back of his neck again as he looked away. "You always seem very distant whenever I cross paths with you. Oh, you're perfectly polite, but I've seen the way you interact with some of the other agents. You seem to prefer the scientists." He grimaced, looking at her guiltily. "I was under the assumption you didn't want to get to know anyone else."

His words shocked her. Had she really been acting like that? Was that how people thought of her? She'd admit to finding more common ground with the lab workers at SHIELD, but only because the field agents never seemed very interested in her beyond her magic. She was reminded of her formative years. She'd acted superior then too.

Hermione made herself put those melancholy thoughts out of her mind. They had no place right now; they could always be thought over later. She gave Steve a reassuring grin. "I'm sorry you thought that, but I would very much like to be friends."

He looked relieved, standing straighter at her announcement. "Friends are always welcome." His look changed again to concern. "You feel ready to continue?"

She nodded, taking a small sip of water to wash away the rest of her food. "Yes, let's go. Hopefully, this tunnel will lead to another cavern, and we can get some bearings from there."

* * *

They found Agent Blake an hour later.

She was incredibly petite, almost fairy-like in her appearance. It must have been why SHIELD recruited her in the first place. She was lying on her side, black bodysuit peeking out under the hiker's clothing she wore.

Hermione kneeled beside the fallen woman quickly, pressing her fingers to her neck. She'd already known as soon as she noticed the puffiness of the agent's neck, but she'd had to check. With a sad shake of her head, she looked up at Steve, her eyes telling him everything.

Steve swallowed hard, looking away. "Her neck is broken. Was that what killed her?"

Hermione didn't answer right away. Gently but firmly turning the deceased woman on her back, Hermione scanned her body for any visible signs of injury. Besides the few scratches from rocks, there were none. "It must have been." She picked up the rope, examining the torn fabric. "This rope was cut."

Steve crouched down beside her, taking it from her. "It looks that way." He grimaced. "Whoever did it must have been waiting until she climbed to do it. Who knew she was going on this assignment?"

"Anyone with the right clearance level. It wasn't exactly top secret."

"That doesn't help us."

No, it didn't. She glanced up, looking at the bright light that had clued them to this location in the first place. They were under the small opening Agent Blake had come through in the first place. Hermione wished she had thought to pull the rope they'd seen at the top. Maybe they would have realized what'd happened sooner.

Well, that wasn't right.

Her eyes narrowed as she examined the light. It was shifting, changing positions every so often. She hadn't spent much time in caves, but she was sure that wasn't supposed to happen. Had the magic here altered what they could see as well?

"Steve," she said slowly. She needed answers. "I need you to do something, and don't argue with me."

"What is it?" he asked cautiously.

"I need you to climb up back to the surface." She held up a hand before he could open his mouth. "No, listen to me. Something seems wrong, and I don't know if it's magic playing tricks on us. You can free climb this wall, and poke your head out. I need you to tell me what you see." She sighed, "It would be better if you could get back to the car and radio for help, but we'd have to find our way to the other entrance first."

Steve accepted her words reluctantly, promising to be back in a minute. Hermione sat back against the wall with a ragged breath once he'd started climbing. Her quick reaction to assessing Agent Blake had taken a lot out of her. Hermione wondered if she was beginning to get a cold. Maybe she was overworking. That seemed to be the only time she ever got sick.

As promised, Steve climbed back down quickly, but the look on his face filled her with trepidation. "What is it?"

"You aren't going to believe me."

"Try me."

Steve shook his head, still in disbelief. "I was able to get my head through, but not much else. But what I saw… Hermione, the area was overrun with greenery. How is that possible? Is there some magic at play, making the area around the cave change?"

Perplexed, she shrugged. "I honestly have no idea. If I had some books…"

"How are books going to help us?"

Hermione shot him a glare. "If it _ is _magic, there might have been something in my book collection about it. It's very extensive." She leaned fully against the rock, sighing. "Magic is blocked in this space completely. I can't access anything."

Steve's eyes narrowed, concentrating on her face. "You look pale."

She closed her eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted by his words. "It's been a stressful situation. I've never really been cut off like this before. Even during the worst times, I had my magic." She opened her eyes, sliding them to the still form of Agent Blake.

Something shimmered in her peripherals.

Hermione sat up straighter, turning on her knees to look at the rock. There was nothing there. She frowned. No, she was sure she'd seen something.

"What is it?" Steve asked.

"I don't know yet." Hermione concentrated on the spot in front of her, forcing herself to accept with absolute surety that something was there. Lines appeared, but not enough for her to make out. Breathing deeply, she focused all her energy, willing what was hidden to appear.

Like the invisibility had never existed, engraved lines came into sight. Her eyes widened, recognizing the marks for a Sigil. "Of course."

Steve knelt next to her, staring at the picture. "That wasn't there before."

"Yes, it was," Hermione told him, reaching out a finger to trace the connecting lines. "It was hidden under a disillusionment spell, a strong one. But like all spells of that type, one someone realized it was there, the spell broke."

"Do you know what it is?"

"It's a Sigil." Her mind worked on translating while she explained. "They're formed by different runes connecting in specific ways and powered through magic. This one… I see the inscription for magic, but this one." She pointed to an ending branch, making out the rune Kaun. "It's reversed. This gives it a negative connotation, one of them being 'block.'"

Steve understood right away. "The reason you can't do magic."

She nodded, happy she didn't need to explain. She found another rune, Hagalaz, almost hidden among others, and also reversed. _ Loss of power_, her mind quickly supplied. Growing concerned at seeing two negative rune meanings in one Sigil, Hermione scanned for more. They were easy to spot after that. _ Dependence, Lethargy, Malaise. _ She found another rune, upright this time, positive, but it's obvious meaning didn't bring her reassurance; _ Defence, Protection. _

Hermione came to a startling realization, but the implications of such a cursed mark were too significant for her to deal with right now. It would be a problem later if they couldn't find a way out, and Merlin knows Captain Rogers wouldn't leave her if he knew, but she couldn't think about it now.

She slowly stood from her kneeling position; grateful her legs chose to stand firm instead of wobbling. "We need to explore the rest of the cave. This is something to do with magic after all, and we're painfully vulnerable while mine is bound."

They walked down the different pathways for hours, more and more etchings of the same sigil making its appearance now that they were aware of them. They found no other exits, the tunnels like a maze. Hermione struggled to keep her mood optimistic, but she was becoming weaker the more time passed. Steve was starting to look at her suspiciously, making her drink and eat the majority of their food.

Eventually, they found their way back to the ledge they'd climbed down to enter the cave. Hermione let herself lean against the rock, her breathing starting to grow heavy. "We're back where we started."

Steve crossed his arms over his chest. "What's going on? I was given the impression you were in better shape than this."

She chuckled, closing her eyes briefly. "I am." She straightened, fighting the heavy weight that wanted to send her to the ground. "The sigil… I haven't told you everything."

"I'm listening."

"There were more than a few runes combined to make it, all with reversed meanings. With what I saw and how I'm feeling, I can correctly assume this cave system is a trap for people with magic."

"You did tell me that."

Her legs quivered. "What I didn't tell you was that the trap seems to be powered by the magic-user it snares. I found runes that indicate the magic is sucked out until there is nothing left." The quivering grew worse. "The way I'm feeling definitely supports that."

Her legs lost their battle, Hermione slumping to the ground. Steve hurriedly pulled her into his arms. "Why didn't you say anything sooner? We need to get you out of here."

She shook her head. "Can't. The shield up top prevents me from leaving, remember?" Her head lolled against his shoulder. "I'm so tired."

Someone was shaking her shoulder, and Hermione roused herself enough to focus. "You need to stay awake, Doll. What happens when you run out of magic? Answer me, Hermione."

She sighed, "I can't survive without magic, Steve. It's a part of me. If I'm left with nothing, I'll die."

She could have sworn she heard him curse, but that couldn't be right. Old-fashioned Captain America didn't use foul language. Then she was being laid carefully on the hard floor, rough material under her head. "I'll be back, Doll. Get some rest."

Hermione couldn't agree or protest for she was already asleep.

* * *

Steve determinedly climbed back up to the top of the ledge. He'd known something was happening with his partner, yet she hadn't seemed worried before now. He'd noticed right away that she wasn't in the physical shape she should be in, but he'd taken her excuses for truth. He knew now she hadn't wanted to worry him.

Steve wished she'd come clean right away. Maybe he'd have consented to find outside help like he was doing now. Maybe they would have already found a way out with the time limit imposed on them. He didn't know. But anything was better than Hermione dying from magic depletion.

He'd always admired her from afar, wanting to get to know her but too nervous to work past the smug face she put out to others. He would have dismissed her as another agent with a superiority complex, but he'd watched her with the lab personnel in SHIELD. When she was with them, she suddenly became this eager bee flitting from person to the next. Her genuine laugh would echo through the room they were in. He found her adorable in those moments.

He was damned if he was going to let her rot in this cursed place.

He passed through the barrier he couldn't see easily. The air was weird when he was free, Steve needing to work harder to breathe it in. Scowling, he walked through the entrance to the cave before freezing in place.

It was like bombs had been dropped, no sign of the trees or green landscape or even the overgrown brush he'd encountered the last time. There was an acidic feeling in the air, enough to make his skin itchy. Suddenly, he could see for miles, and what he saw was a crater-filled wasteland.

It was the magic, Steve was sure of it. If Hermione had been able to leave the cave, she could have broken through this illusion in no time. Instead, she was trapped and it was up to him to get help.

With that thought in mind, Steve walked across the barren landscape, looking for any sign that the magic was dissipating. He stopped when he finally lost sign of the cave. He'd been walking for a while, well passed where they'd parked the car. The illusion shouldn't have stretched that far, right? Everything had been working at that distance.

He took out his phone, pressing the button to turn it on. It lit up, exciting Steve for a moment. But his hopes were dashed when he saw he had no service. He tried pressing the distress signal, a unique string of numbers that would send directly to SHIELDS extraction team. It didn't work, the numbers remaining as they were.

Frustrated, Steve jogged back to the cave. His skin was red in some patches, the need to scratch strong. The magic in this spell was just too powerful for him to figure out without Hermione's help. He only hoped the time he'd spent out here had given her time to nap and recuperate some energy.

She was in the same position he'd left her in, face pale and dark circles under her eyes. Steve gently shook her shoulder. "Come on, Doll, it's time to get up."

Hermione's eyes opened, gaze disoriented. "Steve?"

He helped her sit up, leaning her body against his. "That's right, Hermione. It's time to get up. You've been out for at least an hour."

She shook her head. "It feels as if you just left."

Steve picked up her wrist, pointing to her watch. "See? It was…" His voice trailed off as he got a good look at the time on her timepiece. It was almost two hours behind his own. What was going on? "Something isn't right."

Her lips lifted into a small tired smile. "You barely figured that out?"

Her head was settled on his chest, eyes closed and breathing softly. Steve regretted having to keep her awake when she should obviously save her energy. "No. Something else is going on. I need that brain of yours to start working, Hermione. Come on, Doll, stay awake."

With visible effort, Hermione concentrated on his next words. He explained the changes outside, the feel of the air and how the illusion had affected his body. He showed her the difference in their watches, insistent that he'd been gone at least an hour. By the end of his tale, a light sparked in her eyes.

"It sounds like a time trap."

There she was. "What's a time trap?"

Hermione struggled to sit up, bouncing excitedly against him. "A time trap is a curse used long ago before the prisons were built. They would throw the offenders in the trap, their magic feeding the curse until they died. Time slows extremely." She looked down, stilling. "You said it looks like a barren wasteland outside?"

Steve didn't want to hear where her thoughts were leading. "Yes."

She licked her lips, the action drawing Steve's attention. Her lips were chapped. When was the last time he'd given her water? It couldn't have been too long ago. "There's one record of a survivor from a time trap, discovered when they were dismantled and made illegal back in… Anyway, the record-keeping wasn't the best for these things. Before he died, they were able to get his sentencing date from him… Steve, he'd been in there for 300 years."

Steve sucked in a breath. "It lasted that long?"

She nodded, a quick head movement that had her closing her eyes after. "Yes, curses that feed off of magic can last indefinitely. Even if it were to go dormant from no sustainable energy, all it would take was one spark of magic…"

"You tried a spell when you went through the barrier."

Her laugh was tired, her head falling with a thunk back onto his shoulder. "The trap wasn't dormant. It all makes sense now. No one cut Agent Blakes rope. It broke due to time and wear." She sighed, "If my magic was blocked and started feeding the trap, my Patronus never had time to make it to my Ministry. I'm sorry, Steve."

Steve didn't like the defeat in her tone. There had to be a way out of this. "Don't give up yet, Doll. We'll make it through this."

"Why do you call me Doll?" Hermione asked.

Steve didn't realize until then that he _ had _ been calling her that. Man, how long had it been since he gave someone that nickname? "You know, when we get out of this, there's this great place I found you might like. It reminds me of times before the ice; good food, friendly atmosphere, dancing."

"Sounds fun," she agreed. "You're so warm."

Steve brushed his fingers over the back of her hand, startling at how cold she felt. "Stay with me, Hermione. How do we get out of the trap?"

"It wasn't designed for people to escape," she murmured.

He pinched the back of her hand, apologizing silently, but was pleased when she gave a little jolt. "No, but you've read about them. Were there any details on how they were created?"

"The design for the traps is legendary…" She trailed off.

"Hermione?"

She blinked. "Uhh… Yes, the activation sight is supposedly one giant runic masterpiece… Though I've never seen it in person, of course…"

Steve pinched her again when she stopped speaking, jostling her a little when she didn't start back up. He tilted her head back, concerned as it hung limply to the side when he moved. Her breathing was shallow, the darkness under her eyes more pronounced than before. He moved his fingers to her neck, pressing firmly against the flesh near her jaw. Her pulse was weak.

He needed to find the activation sight.

Steve didn't bother waking Hermione again, enfolding her in his arms and standing. He needed her to save her energy. If he could find where the trap's power was located, she could find them a way out. He knew she could.

He mapped out what they'd already explored in his head. They'd walked for hours and found no sign of another opening or exit. There was the space they'd found Agent Blake's body. He'd noticed another path, but it had been slimmer. He wasn't sure he'd have fit, so he hadn't brought it up to Hermione. Maybe that had been a mistake.

Steve willed his body heat to transfer to Hermione as he walked. He couldn't believe she'd been reduced to this state within a few hours. But it hadn't only been a few hours, he reminded himself. Her magic had been feeding this curse for however long they'd been trapped in here. Steve wasn't sure how they would come out of this in the end. Would they be stuck down here? Would they find themselves in a different time?

Would Steve have to watch her die and be left alone?

He couldn't think that way. He'd been through World War 2, fighting the enemy and protecting his country with everything in him. He'd been in worse situations than this and had made it through with his life intact. If the rumors were true, his partner had been through harsh times of her own. They'd both made it to this day. They'd make it through this ordeal just fine.

He found the space housing Agent Blake's body quickly. Her body was how they'd left it. Steve vowed to retrieve her when he got the chance. The young agent hadn't known what she was getting into when they sent her here.

The narrow entrance was exactly as he remembered. He saw that he could fit, the walls looked like they opened up a bit more the deeper it went, but not while he was carrying Hermione the way he was. He would have to shift her. She didn't fight or startle as he draped her arms over his shoulders, holding her top half with one arm while he used his free hand to get her legs over his hips. He angled her head right under his chin, multiple strands of drooping curls tickling his mouth. It was hard to keep her in this position when she wasn't helping. She was dead weight at this point, her body veering to the side if he didn't hold onto her properly.

He slowly made his way through the crevice. He grit his teeth when the rough texture of the rock scratched his back and hands. It was a tight squeeze. Something sharp tugged on his shirt and then there was a harsh rip, the loud sound smothering their breathing for a second. He kept going.

Finally, the narrow path opened up into a bigger chamber. Steve found what he was looking for right away. A giant carving of an hourglass faced him, smaller symbols etched onto the sides and curving around the body of the picture. The symbols glowed, providing the only light source in this space. This was it. It had to be.

He walked forward, gently turning Hermione around and transferring her into his arms so that she could see it too. "Doll, wake up. Look!" He tried to rouse her with no success until he did something that he would have never thought to do to a woman.

He struck her.

The slap was firm with enough pressure to have Hermione opening her eyes on a gasp. "What…"

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "You can get me for that later. Look at this."

Her tired eyes shifted to the glow in front of them, her breath stuttering in her shock. "You found it…"

"I did. Can you do anything?"

Her eyes suddenly filled. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Shh," Steve soothed. He pressed a kiss to her temple. "Why are you sorry? We found where the trap came from. You can fix everything now."

She shook her head weakly. "I can't. I need magic to do it, and I don't have enough. Even at the risk of damaging my core, there's not much left for me to tap into. I'm so tired…"

No, that couldn't be it. Steve refused to believe this was it. "We'll work through this. Can I do anything? You tell me what to do and I'll do it."

Hermione worked up the energy to give him a sad smile. "You don't have magic. I'm sorry, Steve. I just don't have the energy to get us out. You might be able to make it out, though. Time will loop, over and over, from start to finish. If you can time it right, you might be able to get back to as close to our original time as possible."

"Don't talk like that," Steve snapped out. "I'm not leaving you down here. Do you need energy? I still have some bars from my pack. Will that be enough?"

"No, I'd need something big...like…" Hermione swallowed, thinking hard about something. "Kiss me."

Steve's eyes widened, his body tensing. "What?"

Hermione shakily lifted her head until they were eye level. Her breathing was heavier with the effort. "Do you want to get out of here?" He nodded. "Then I need you to do as I say. Kiss me, and keep doing so until I pull away, no matter what you feel."

"Hermione-"

"Do it, Steve."

At her feeble command, Steve closed his mouth over hers. Her lips were dry, cracked in some places. He tried to keep it chaste, firmly pressing his lips to hers, only keeping his hands in place to keep her from falling away from him. Hermione changed that. Her tongue darted out, his mouth opening in surprise when it reached his lips. She pressed closer, her hands gripping his back and shirt. Her eyes met his, her expression pleading with him.

Steve gave in, letting his tongue tangle with hers, his eyes closing as he lost himself in the kiss. His hands moved, one down her back until it was slipping under her shirt and the other twisting into her hair. He started to feel a small tingling sensation, something that should have alarmed him, but he was too consumed with the taste of her to notice. His heartbeat picked up, loud to his ears, even as the tingling grew worse. His mind cleared a little when his knees grew weak, but Hermione had commanded him to keep kissing her and so he did. He kept up under her, basking in the heady feeling of her body against his. He needed to sit down after a while, falling onto his butt, but that didn't deter either of them. Hermione straddled his lap with surprising force, Steve pulling her as close as he could.

Finally, Hermione broke away and Steve opened his eyes. He was surprised to find them glowing, a bright golden light that embraced the bother of them. Her eyes were lively, lips swollen from his assault. She leaned down, pressing one hard peck on his mouth, their breaths mingling as they took each other in.

And then she was moving out of his embrace, the glow surrounding them disappearing as if it had never been there. Steve watched in a confused daze as she withdrew her wand from her pocket, and made a slicing motion towards her index finger. Blood welled from the tip, a lot of it from a slice so small. Hermione threw herself at the carving, drawing over the symbols with her blood. The healthy glow that had taken over her began to fade fast, and perhaps spurred by that knowledge, Hermione started to move faster.

Steve jumped when Hermione lost her footing, stumbling to catch her. He held her close, letting her use him to keep herself up while she worked. She was mumbling under her breath, but he couldn't make out what she was saying. Her body sagged against his when she dropped her hand, her head drooping down.

The light turned from a shiny white to a bright red, the darker tint engulfing the room in darkness. The new symbols drawn in Hermione's blood started moving to the shape of the hourglass in a loop. The ground shook, loose pieces of rock falling from the ceiling. Steve did the only thing he could do, sitting on the ground with Hermione in his lap and protecting her the best he could until it was over. He could see nothing apart from the dark red glow.

And then, when the shaking stopped and the light died out, leaving them in darkness, Steve heard them.

"Captain Rogers!"

"Mione! Mione, where are you!"

* * *

Hermione sighed, stretching her body and opening her eyes as she woke. She recognized the bland rooms and firm mattress beneath her. She was in St. Mungos.

She sat up, looking to her left when she felt another presence in the room. Steve Rogers was asleep in a chair next to her bed, elbow on the end table next to her bed and chin on a closed fist. He didn't look the worse for wear from their experience, though she noticed a white bandage peeking out from his shirt. She noticed her wand was on the table and reached forward to grab it. The bed made a sound with her movement, Steve jerking awake.

He tensed, but then saw she was awake and smiled with relief. "You're awake."

"I am," she said nervously. "I see we made it out."

"We did and in the correct time, albeit a few days into the future."

She relaxed a little. "That's a relief. I was afraid it wouldn't work."

Steve chuckled, getting up to sit on the side of her bed. "Your government officials had a heck of a time figuring out how you did what you did. They said there was no written record of destroying the time trap besides some strong curse breaking spells that you wouldn't know." He stared at her knowingly. "You went off a hunch."

Hermione blew out a breath. "It was all I could come up with at the time. I may not be a Curse Breaker, but I know runes." She bit her lip. "Steve, about the kiss…"

He held up a hand before she could continue. "I was given an explanation for that as well." At her confused look, he shrugged. "I've had about a week to be debriefed. They explained the energy transfer and why it had to be me that initiated the kiss."

She blushed. "I wish I'd had the time to explain it to you. You should have had a proper choice in the matter."

Steve reached forward, cupping her cheek. "I would have still been willing. What you did… It saved our lives. Don't feel guilty for thinking I didn't want it." His thumb brushed the skin under her eye. "They should let you leave in a few days now that you're awake. I could take you to that place I was talking about. We'd have to take a plane back to the US, but I promise the place is great." He paused, bringing his thumb down to touch her bottom lip. "Maybe we can try out that kiss when it isn't life or death."

Hermione gave him a happy grin, reaching up to place her hand over the one that cupped her cheek. "I'd like that."


End file.
